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As talks on Iran's nuclear program resume today,聽hopes for a deal are high. Regular paying guests at the Hotel Intercontinental,聽where some meetings are being held,聽have been told to vacate their rooms聽on Friday,聽apparently聽just in case ministerial delegations fly in for a signing ceremony.

If a preliminary deal on limiting Iran's nuclear program is struck, it would be a banner achievement after more than a decade of failed diplomacy.聽But a deal seemed close at the last round of talks, too 鈥� only to be scuttled on a day expected to end with a signed agreement.聽

What if neither side can accept 鈥測es鈥� as an answer?聽What is the price of failure?

The window for the West to capitalize on the new, more moderate administration in Iran is narrow.聽If negotiators leave this round of talks, Geneva III, without聽a deal, tensions could escalate, potentially leading to military action.聽

As the chances of an agreement have grown, Iran has signaled readiness to play a much more positive role, says Farideh Farhi, an Iran expert at the University of Hawaii, contacted in Tehran.聽If things fall apart, she says,聽"You would be dealing with a whole slew of [negative] activities, whether increased nuclear work, non-cooperation with the US leaving Afghanistan, non-cooperation on Syria."

By not securing a deal, she says, "You鈥檙e effectively encouraging an escalation. I鈥檓 not sure it will lead to war, but it is certainly in that direction."

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that Iran鈥檚 nuclear negotiators had his support, and that Iran wanted 鈥渇riendly relations with all nations, even the United聽States."

On the table now is an initial deal that would halt advance of Iran鈥檚 enrichment capacity and roll back part of its nuclear program for six months,聽while a comprehensive deal is struck. In exchange, the US would offer what American officials have described as 鈥渧ery modest鈥� sanctions relief.

Yet there are many who would welcome a failure.聽

Skeptics abound who argue that an imperfect deal is worse than no deal. Key US senators expressed doubts yesterday after a White House briefing in which President Obama pushed for delaying further sanctions.聽The administration聽has been arguing forcefully to not spoil this opportunity.聽

鈥淭he American people do not want a march to war,鈥� White House spokesman Jay Carney said last week, as the administration campaigned on Capitol Hill to prevent imposition of more sanctions now.

Americans 鈥減refer a peaceful solution that prevents Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and this agreement [in Geneva], if it鈥檚 achieved, has the potential to do that,鈥� said Mr. Carney. 鈥淭he alternative is military action.鈥�

Yet聽Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 鈥� who has demanded that Iran鈥檚 entire nuclear program be scrapped 鈥� has stated that the current proposal is an 鈥渆xtraordinarily bad deal鈥� that itself could eventually lead to war.

And the thousands of basiji militiamen Mr. Khamenei addressed today chanted 鈥淒eath to America鈥澛爄n response to his聽remarks about better relations with the US.

Iranian officials are watching this game play out. A string of tweets on Khamenei's Twitter account today included several with anti-US invective and criticism of the French role in聽hardening聽the offer from the P5+1 (the US, Britain, France, China, Russia, and Germany)聽two weeks ago, which prevented a deal then.

In one tweet, Khamenei said French support for Israel鈥檚 position was a 鈥済reat dishonor鈥� to the Europeans. Another read: 鈥淚t came from the mouth of the rabid dog of the region 鈥撀�#Israel 鈥� that Iran is a threat to the world! No, fake Israeli regime and allies are a threat.鈥澛�

Iranian lawmakers said they were ready to play hardball if a win-win deal was not achieved.

鈥淚f Congress seeks to take negotiations to defeat, the Iranian parliament can also bind the [Rouhani] administration to the expansion of nuclear technology,鈥� said lawmaker Mohammad Dehghan, according to a translation by IranTracker.org.

鈥淚f America and the P5+1 demonstrate harsh and irrational behavior in front of Iran鈥檚 flexibility, our hand is open as well,鈥� said Mr. Dehghan. 鈥淚f negotiations do not reach a result with such behaviors and harsh positions, there is no reason for Iran to be faithful to its previous commitments.鈥�

Khamenei has expressed skepticism about the talks but backed his negotiating team so he can鈥檛 be seen as the spoiler, says Farhi in Tehran. That means that if talks fail, 鈥渢he whole Iranian society will know 鈥撀燼cross the political spectrum 鈥撀爐hat it is not [Khamenei鈥檚] fault," she says.

鈥淚f it doesn鈥檛 work then this push to make a deal will disappear inside Iran, because everybody will realize that the pressures imposed on Iran are not about Iran鈥檚 nuclear program [but] getting rid of the Islamic Republic.鈥�